Cleaning Agents and How They Impact Indoor Air Quality

The endocrine system enables most vital bodily functions in humans by producing hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, mood, and other essential processes.

Consisting of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries (in females), and testicles (in males), the endocrine system affects almost every organ and cell in the human body.

A properly functioning endocrine system ensures that your body continues to release hormones essential for maintaining fine-tuned and comfortable bodily functions.

But this critical system is under attack, mostly from endocrine disruptors (EDCs).

What are Endocrine Disruptors?

Endocrine disruptors are natural and mostly man-made chemicals that can either mimic or disrupt the action of hormones.

Essentially, they are chemical hormone disruptors that interfere with the endocrine system at certain doses, resulting in adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects.

Endocrine disruptors are associated with learning disabilities, cognitive dysfunction, attention disorders, brain development problems, physical deformations, various types of cancers, and sexual disorders, among others.

They are also known to affect fetal growth.

As far back as 2013, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Project (UNEP) released a report linking exposure to endocrine disruptors with cancer, especially prostate cancer in men and thyroid cancer, along with a whole host of other severe to fatal ailments.

And endocrine disruptors don’t just affect humans. They affect marine and aquatic life, as well as birds and animals.

They also affect our food – vegetables, fruit, fish, and water.

While a large number of natural substances are believed to be endocrine disruptors, man-made sources far outnumber them.

And increasingly so.

We live in a world where chemicals have become increasingly prevalent.

From packaging products to medicines to transportation to bottles, pretty much any object you can think of makes generous use of chemicals.

Even the food we eat is contaminated by chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides, industrial waste, and contaminated water.

One of the biggest sources of endocrine disruptors is the cleaning products you use at home.

We have previously written about the chemicals hidden in your cleaning products, how disinfecting your home can kill off the good bacteria, and how the chemicals from your cleaning agents can end up contaminating your food.

Equally importantly, these chemicals also pollute the indoor air in your homes, ensuring that your body absorbs them with every breath you take in what should be a safe environment.

Some of the known endocrine disruptors in your household cleaners include Cyclosiloxanes, glycol ethers, phthalates, parabens, alkylphenols, ethanolamides, bisphenol A (BPA), and triclosan.

Some substances containing endocrine disruptors, especially pesticides like DDT, have already been banned in several countries because sufficient research has been conducted and documented regarding their harmful effects on human health.

However, many products still contain a significant amount of EDCs, either in the product itself or in the packaging it comes in, both of which can cause harm to you and the environment.

One EDC that has become increasingly prevalent in many cleaning products is phthalates.

Suppose you use any chemical-based cleaning product with a fragrance. In that case, it is most likely to contain phthalates, which can actually worsen the indoor air quality in your home compared to the outdoor air quality in our cities.

Unless the fragrance is derived from essential oils, which is usually not the case with chemical-based cleaners. (Sidenote: those fragrant products do nothing for odour control).

Phthalates are known to damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system.

Phthalates can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin.

For over 80 years, the industry has been using phthalates in a wide range of products, including toys, cosmetics, skincare products, and vinyl products.

And yes, air fresheners are even more deadly because we can inhale them from the air, and the particles also land on our skin and get absorbed into our bloodstream.

Common phthalates found in air fresheners include Di-ethyl Phthalate (DEP), Di-n-butyl Phthalate (DBP), Di-isobutyl Phthalate (DIBP), Di-methyl Phthalate (DMP), and Di-isohexyl Phthalate (DIHP).

These are known to interfere with hormone levels, affecting genital development in humans, and also cause reproductive and growth disorders.

In any case, air fresheners don’t work, and we shouldn’t use them because the benefits are minimal.

Still, the harm air fresheners cause to our bodies and our indoor and outdoor environments is immense and sometimes irreversible.

Air fresheners aren’t alone in this, though.

Most chemical-based cleaning products are actively harming you and not even doing that good a job of cleaning what they are supposed to clean.

Your floor cleaner, your toilet cleaner, your kitchen cleaner, your brass cleaner… they are all loaded with chemical compounds that are affecting your health, the health of your family, and the health of our environment.

If you truly want to clean your home, use solutions that not only clean but also care for you and the environment.

Like our ThinkSafe range of products, our biodegradable home cleaning solutions are non-toxic, non-corrosive, ammonia- and chlorine-free, and made from fully organic, natural, and gentle ingredients, which are gentle on you and Mother Earth.